C-section babies at higher risk of obesity

Babies delivered by caesarean are at a higher risk of becoming overweight or obese because they are not exposed to protective bacteria in the mother's vagina, international research has found.

The research, conducted by the Finnish paediatrician Erika Isolauri and to be presented in Sydney tomorrow, shows that exposure to bacteria in a vaginal delivery can help a child maintain a healthy weight later in life.

About 30 per cent of NSW babies are delivered by caesarean, a figure the government seeks to reduce to 20 per cent by 2015. About one in four children in the state are either overweight or obese.